Just a dream
by redheadturkey
Summary: Some things are occasionally not as they seem


_It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen  
All dressed in white  
Going to the church that night  
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat  
Sixpence in her shoe, something borrowed, something blue_

"I can't believe it, Ros. I really can't. It's really happening." The slender red haired Turk was perched in front of the mirror, checking out the white suit that had been chosen out for the event. Reno was absolutely THRILLED that it was happening, over the MOON really. He and Rude had been partners in work for a bit over a year, and from that had developed a deep and true bond. Rude had been the first to know that Reno despite his reputation as a womanizer actually PREFERRED men, and had also been the one to cultivate the love they had now, being patient with the young man who in reality was as gunshy as they came about actual relationships.

Rude had had a mission in Junon that had lasted for almost two months, but he'd PROMISED he would be back in time for their wedding, The President had no idea, of course, this was all in secret, all of it done just ceremonial, but he didn't care. He'd just turned eighteen two weeks before, and it was good enough for him just to make the gesture now. One more check of his hair, and he was out the door, heading for the church.

His fingers ran over the box of letters that had been sent from Rude the entire time he had been in Junon, a slight smile touching his face. He had a sixth gil piece stuck inside his right shoe for luck, a pair of cufflinks borrowed from Tseng, and a blue ribbon that tied off his normal ponytail. He had no idea what awaited him when they got there, as Rosalind had not yet been informed, either.

_  
And when the church doors opened up wide  
She put her veil down  
Trying to hide the tears  
Oh she just couldn't believe it  
She heard trumpets from the military band  
And the flowers fell out of her hand  
_

Then the doors opened, and he could feel the absolutely funereal atmosphere, see Rufus and Tseng and the rest of the Turks standing at the very end of the aisle, and when they parted to reveal what sat on top of the dias in the small church the flowers he had been carrying in his hand to settle into the vase dropped from his hand with a soft rustling sound. Shock had seized him completely by that point and he pulled his hair down, letting it frame his face like a veil so no one would be able to see that he'd simply quietly broken down into tears.

The sounds of the trumpets playing could be heard as he started trembling, just shaking his head in complete and utter disbelief.

_Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
_

His breath caught in his throat as his chest constricted, the air coming out a quiet sob that he did not even seem to realize had come from him. "Oh Gods. .. oh sweet Shiva. .. Gods. .." The casket up on the slightly raised area made it clear. . .what had been supposed to be a wedding had turned out to be a funeral, and as he ran for the casket and opened the lid all he could do was drop to his knees. The hardened, battle-ready Turk was suddenly showing how young he truly was as he bent over the dead body of the one he'd been going to marry that day and sobbed.

"You weren't supposed ta leave me. . .you were supposed ta stay with me until the day we both went out in a blaze o'glory. It's not fucking FAIR!"

_It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream_

It began to almost feel as if he was standing outside himself as Tseng and Cissnei pulled him away from the casket, Cissnei trying to comfort and console him. "We tried to call you so you would have some warning before you came here, but you were off with Rosalind getting ready. I'm so sorry. . .so sorry." Cissnei's voice was soft, as she put her arms around him to try to keep him from falling apart. Not that it would do much good, she knew, as the rabbit fast beat against her arm would attest to.

_The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray  
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt  
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard  
_

As those around beginning singing hymns all he could do was sit down hard to avoid simply falling down, which would be highly embarrassing, and he refused to do that. Reno had far too much pride, even as devastated as he was.

_Then they handed her a folded up flag  
And she held on to all she had left of him  
Oh, and what could have been  
And then the gun's rang one last shot  
And it felt like a bullet in her heart  
_

As he was handed the folded up flag with the Shinra logo on it, the last of the military salute rang from outside the church and he jumped, almost as if he himself had been shot. It felt like it, at least to him, the pain almost too real as he asked how it had happened.

"Sniper. . .caught him just as he was walking toward the chopper to come home. We're all so very Sorry, Reno. . We know how much you loved him, All of us loved him."

_Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream  
_

_  
_Green eyes snapped open then as Reno raked his fingers through bright red strands, and he peered over to see Rude laying next to him still fast asleep. "It was just a dream. . ."


End file.
